RECORD ATTENDANCE AT ONTARIO LIBERAL PROVINCIAL COUNCILOver 800 grits come together to rebuild

TORONTO — More than 800 eager Liberal supporters from over 100 ridings across the province met in Toronto today to begin the next stages of rebuilding the Ontario Liberal Party.

Interim Party Leader John Fraser spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the Chestnut Conference Centre this morning, intent on setting a strong foundation for the party’s future.

“We will stop at nothing. We will overcome every obstacle. And we will use every resource at our disposal – no matter how small it may seem – because Ontario Liberals invite everyone in,” said Fraser. “We are the party of and for all Ontarians of all backgrounds and beliefs. We bring people together - we don’t divide them. And we are the builders who will put Ontario back on track when the Conservatives tear it all down.”

Attendees at today’s event were grassroots volunteers and supporters who have played a significant role building up communities across the province.

The gathering was the party’s first event since the 2018 provincial election and gave supporters the opportunity to come together to ask the hard questions and begin charting the path forward.

“Coming together is a crucial part of building our future. Ontarians sent us a clear and unmistakable message – it’s only right that we listen to that message,” continued Fraser. “Through grit, determination and hard work, we will be back to build Ontario up because ultimately that is our goal: to build an alternative to the cuts and chaos that we know are coming. The challenge before us is great, but so is the opportunity.”

See the full text of Fraser's keynote address to Provincial Council at https://ontarioliberal.ca/john-frasers-remarks-from-provincial-council

For further information:Ontario Liberal PartyCommunications@ontarioliberal.ca

TORONTO—Premier Kathleen Wynne did precisely what she needed to do in tonight’s Leaders’ debate, coming up with a decisive win and setting the stage for a three-way fight to the finish on June 7th.

The night began with the Premier’s defiantly candid “Sorry, Not Sorry” defense of her record and her plan – a message that immediately stood out from the canned political-speak coming from both Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath.

And she stuck to that tone for the rest of the night – speaking directly to voters in an honest, unfiltered way about her values and her plan.

It was a passionate, intelligent and deeply personal performance that virtually screamed the word: Leader.

The signature exchange of the night came when Premier Wynne took Andrea Horwath to task for her unwillingness to stand up for the public interest and say no to public sector unions. Horwath simply couldn’t explain why she would take away the vital tool of back-to-work legislation to deal with strikes that carry on too long and hurt too many people.

Horwath looked shaken, unsure of herself and unready. Worse, she confirmed that when push comes to shove, she’ll follow public sector union leaders first and put the people of this province second. For those thinking about voting NDP, that exchange will cause them to think again.

Doug Ford was barely present. Sticking to pre-programmed slogans, he had no explanation for why he hasn’t released a costed platform and time and again he advertised the fact that he simply isn’t suitable to serve as premier of this province.

With ten days to go in an election that has already been filled with volatility and surprises, the Premier’s debate outing is the kind of performance that kick-starts a comeback.

Voters tonight are looking at the race through a new set of eyes. It’s time to remember a lesson we’ve learned before: Never count Kathleen Wynne out.

(Toronto) Doug Ford wants renters to fend for themselves, saying he believes “the market” is better than rent control laws designed to protect tenants fromhigher rents and unfair rent increases.

Rent control measures are protecting millions of Ontarians from sudden, dramatic rent increases. But when pressed directly about his thoughts on rent control, Ford said, “I just don’t like it. I like having the market dictate” (Globe and Mail video, March 14th, 2018).

But the “market” doesn’t protect renters if a landlord wants to unfairly jack up rates. And the “market” doesn’t protect Ontario families against wealthy foreign speculators as they compete for homes in the GTHA.

“Doug Ford is out of touch if he thinks the ‘market’ will protect renters and homebuyers in Ontario,” said Ontario Liberal MPP Peter Milczyn. “Now is not the time to cut and run when families need it most – now is the time to invest incare.”

At a time when Ontarians need a government that chooses to care and invest, Doug Ford and the Conservatives are instead only offering an agenda filled with massive cuts to health, education and other important public services.

Now is not the time to slash investments just when families need it most. Now is the time to invest in care.

Conservative Leader Doug Ford made news in the Toronto Star with some misleading claims today.

What he decided not to talk about, was how the Conservative cuts are forecasted to grow to $8.3 billion a year under his watch – over $9 billion if he decides to keep the imaginary surplus in the platform.

Independent economist Mike Moffatt estimates the cuts in the Conservative platform will result in “approximately 40,000 fewer Ontarians working as teachers, nurses, doctors and university professors than there otherwise would be”.

Adding to this disastrous plan are $1.9 billion in annual cuts from scrapping green projects such as home retrofits, leading to tens of thousands of private sector job losses.

Doug Ford needs to stick to the facts and put an end to Ford’s Fake News.

He claimed: “On education, administration could be shared and trimmed, and boards could cut costs through shared procurement”

Fact: School boards in Ontario already have joint competitive procurement.

In fact on page 615 of the recent Auditor General’s report, she praised the current process:

“On a positive note, school boards have been increasing their use of group purchasing arrangements to acquire goods and services, which should result in cost savings. For instance, we noted that the value of school board purchases acquired through supplier agreements negotiated by the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace increased from $10 million in 2010 to $112 million. By December 2016, 71 of the 72 school boards in Ontario were participating in this group purchasing plan.”

Fact: Independent economist Mike Moffatt estimates the cuts in the Conservative platform will result in “approximately 40,000 fewer Ontarians working as teachers, nurses, doctors and university professors than there otherwise would be”.

Fact: From 2011 to 2012, operating positions at the City of Toronto decreased by 1,411. This includes less positions at the Affordable Housing Office, Toronto Public Health, and Long Term Care Home and Services.

He claimed: “All the procurement adds up to a tremendous amount, we can drive costs down 15 per cent.”

Fact: The government already does joint competitive procurement across every ministry through the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

Here are some examples of savings that have already been achieved through this process:$80M from mobile devices and services, $14M print services, $4M for IT security products; and $3M for laboratory supplies.

(Source: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services)

He claimed: “On the health front, Ford said he’s assembled a team of health professionals ... to look at the issue of improving wait times.”Fact: According to the Fraser Institute and the Wait Time Alliance Ontario already has some of the shortest wait times in Canada. In the Fraser Institute’s 2017 report, Waiting Your Turn, they found that Ontario has the best median wait times in the country; four weeks better than the second best province. We’re also one of only two provinces in Canada to improve our wait times from 2016 to 2017. (Source: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada-2017)

Parminder Singh, founding host of Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi, named Ontario Liberal candidate for Brampton East

BRAMPTON—Parminder Singh, the Founding host of CBC’s former Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi broadcast, was named as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Brampton East today.“I am thrilled to join Premier Kathleen Wynne’s team to fight for the fairness and opportunity Brampton residents deserve,” said Singh, a medical doctor. “Brampton residents need a government that invests in care. This Premier has invested in our hospitals, seniors’ homes and child-care spaces. I will add my voice to her strong team to continue delivering for Brampton.”

Parminder Singh is a health-care professional and has worked as a sports and health commentator for Omni TV, the CBC, 680News and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. He was the founding host and play-by-play commentator of the acclaimed Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi, and founded the Toronto Raptors Punjabi Broadcast. He is the Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer at Healthcare Plus Medical Group, and was educated at the University of Toronto, Windsor University School of Medicine and Harvard University.

Dr Singh has led various fundraising campaigns in support of local hospitals and charities. He was the chair of Sikhs for SickKids, which helped raise close to $100,000 for SickKids Hospital, and he was also a driving force in raising $350,000 for the Brampton Civic Hospital through the Akhand Paath event.

Dr Singh will join Premier Kathleen Wynne, who recently appointed him as the candidate, at a rally in Brampton on Sunday.

Under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario Liberal Party has a plan to deliver opportunity and fairness for everyone. While Ontario has a balanced budget and growing economy, not everyone is feeling that growth yet. That’s why we are working to deliver a fairer, better Ontario through free tuition for 210,000 students, free prescription drug coverage for children and youth, 100,000 affordable child-care spaces, and a $15-an-hour minimum wage. No matter who the leader is, this is the same Conservative Party. While our government is focused on investing in care, the Conservatives remain focused on cutting health care, education and the services Ontarians rely on by firing 40,000 workers.

(Queen’s Park) While the Ontario Liberal Government is focused on passing legislation that stands up for Ontario workers and businesses, the provincial Conservatives remain stuck in their opposition to the Fairness in Procurement Act.

Led by their Interim Leader, Vic Fedeli, the provincial Conservatives have shown time and time again that they are unwilling to defend Ontario’s economic interests. They played procedural games to delay the bill last week, and are speaking against it today.

Fedeli is a veteran when it comes to not supporting Ontario workers. Maybe a letter writing campaign was a good idea back in 2009, when the U.S. first introduced Buy America provisions. But we all know that the world has dramatically changed since then, both politically and economically. While the Interim Leader would choose to send a quick letter and hope for the best, our government will fight for Ontario workers every single time

That’s why the Premier has met with 37 Governors and a number of influential congress people, senators and members of the U.S. federal administration in an attempt to influence change.

However, it was clear that the political landscape just wasn’t the same after the 2016 U.S. election. That’s why we committed to tabling legislation that, if passed, would enable us to respond in kind. Legislation that would allow us to respond to any American jurisdiction that attempted to harm Ontario’s economic interests.

It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the Conservatives have decided to side with foreign interests over Ontario workers. This is the same party that wants to take money away from Ontario's lowest paid workers by rolling back a $15 minimum wage and make billions of dollars of cuts to hospitals, schools and the services Ontarians rely on.

Mazhar Shafiq Elected Ontario Liberal Party Candidate for Scarborough Centre

January 24, 2018

Mazhar Shafiq elected Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Scarborough Centre

SCARBOROUGH—Following a competitive nomination race with over 9,000 local members, Mazhar Shafiq was elected as the Ontario Liberal Party Candidate for Scarborough Centre.

Shafiq, a community leader and political advisor, spoke of his experience immigrating to Canada, saying, “Nearly twenty years ago, I arrived at Pearson Airport with little more than a desire to see a better life for my young family. An engineer in Pakistan, in Canada I worked any job I could find to make ends meet, before upgrading my skills and becoming involved in the automotive sector and then in public service.”

“My story is a story made possible by a supportive government that valuesimmigration, skills development and ensures a minimum-wage job pays a fair living. That is why I am so passionate to be running on Premier Kathleen Wynne’s team, to ensure every family can access affordable post-secondary education, find an affordable home and work to get ahead,” said Shafiq. “I am honoured to be standing as a candidate to fight for those Canadian values and to serve all communities in our diverse riding.”

“I'm thrilled the people of Scarborough Centre will have a Liberal candidate who will make them proud. Maz has the skills and talent to be a strong local representative and make a significant contribution to the future of Scarborough,” said Brad Duguid, the long-time local MPP. “I'm also pleased Maz will further advance the efforts of our Premier to build a team that represents the diversity of Ontario.”

Mazhar Shafiq worked as a highway engineer in Pakistan after earning his Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore.Upon arriving in Canada, he earned a post-graduate certificate from Sheridan College and worked in various roles in the automotive sector, before becominga special assistant to Rob Oliphant, MP for Don Valley West. He then worked as a special assistant and communications advisor to the Hon. Kathleen Wynne. Since 2013, he has served as a senior advisor for community relations to the Premier.

Under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario Liberal Party has a plan to deliver opportunity and fairness for everyone. While Ontario has a balanced budget and growing economy, not everyone is feeling that growth yet. That’s why we are working to deliver a fairer, better Ontario through free tuition for 210,000 students, free prescription drug coverage for children and youth, 100,000 affordable child-care spaces, and a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

NDP shows that, again, they do not support legislation to get students back toclass

Today, NDP leader Andrea Horwath and the NDP caucus showed again that they are not supportive of getting college students back into classrooms where they belong.

By voting against back-to-work legislation for the second time in two days, the NDP have opposed a plan to get students back to class as soon as possible, putting their own interests ahead of the interests of students. Had the NDP voted for this legislation, students would no longer be facing the anxiety of wondering exactlywhen their classes would resume, and students could have been making the necessary plans to head back to school.

Although Horwath and her caucus may claim they can’t support this legislation on principle, they have supported back-to-work legislation in the past. In 2008, the NDP caucus, which Andrea Horwath was a part of, supported back-to-work legislation that brought TTC staff back to work (Toronto Star) and allowed it to be passed in just one day (Hansard).

This leaves the 500,000 locked-out students wondering why it was okay for the NDP to quickly pass legislation then, but not for students now?

SCARBOROUGH —Lorenzo Berardinetti was nominated this evening to run for reelection as the Ontario Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest.“It is a privilege and honour to represent my riding of Scarborough Southwest in the Ontario Legislature. I am excited to continue improving the overall quality of life for the residents in our community. As a result of our government’s work under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, we dramatically increased capital and operating funding to Providence Health Care and we are investing $400,000 in new capital funding to provide much needed upgrades to Variety Village,” said Berardinetti.

“This record of delivering for our community is an important reason why I am seeking reelection. I look forward to the upcoming campaign and I am excited to continue working hard on behalf of the residents of Scarborough Southwest,” he added.

For close to thirty years, Lorenzo Berardinetti has served his community as an elected representative, standing up for the issues that matter most to families in Scarborough Southwest.

A resident of Scarborough since the age of four, Berardinetti studied at the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor Law School; he was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988.

Berardinetti served as a Councillor for the former Scarborough City Council and then as a Councillor for the amalgamated City of Toronto, where he chaired the administration committee and stewarded the forced amalgamation of all seven former municipalities.

He was elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2003, since serving as Deputy Government Whip and now as Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General. In 2004, he introduced a Private Member’s Bill to outlaw “gender-based pricing”, which prohibited retailers from charging women more for goods and services compared to men.

Under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario Liberal Party has a plan to deliver opportunity and fairness for everyone. While Ontario has a balanced budget and growing economy, not everyone is feeling that growth yet. That’s why we are working to deliver a fairer, better Ontario through free tuition for 210,000 students, free prescription drug coverage for children and youth, 100,000 affordable child-care spaces, and a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

MPP Raymond Cho and Conservatives Vote Against $15 Minimum WagePC MPPs voted against historic legislation for fair workplaces and better jobs[Queen’s Park] This afternoon Scarborough-Rouge River MPP Raymond Cho along with Patrick Brown’s PC caucus voted against historic changes to create fairer and better workplaces that include raising Ontario’s general minimum wage. In public comments over the last few months Patrick Brown said that increasing the minimum wage is “too much, too soon” (Toronto Star; May 31, 2017) and won’t commit to not rolling back the $15 minimum wage increase in future years.PC MPPs voted against measures that include:

· Raising Ontario’s minimum wage to $14/hour in 2018 and to $15/hour in 2019, with further increases based on inflation;

On the 14th anniversary of this Liberal Government’s first election victory in 2003, the Ontario PCs have assembled a highlight reel of some of the worst Liberal scandals of their reign. In Question Period, the PCs raised 14 different scandals with 14 different questions.

“The Liberals’ record raises key questions: do Ontarians want the same reckless and politically corrupt government who's only in it for themselves and their well-connected friends?" asked PC Leader Patrick Brown. “After 14 years of waste, scandal and mismanagement, how can we trust Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals ever again?”

Here are some of the highlights of the Liberal record over the last 14 years:

· The self-interested, secret Hydro One fire sale that is putting Ontario back in the coal business· Five OPP investigations (here, here, here, here and here)· Doubling the provincial debt· Deep cuts to health care· The loss of hundreds of thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs· Billion dollar eHealth boondoggle· Kicking 3,500 children with autism off of the wait list for life-changing IBI therapy· 600 schools closed or slated for closure· Millions spent on partisan, taxpayer funded vanity ads the Auditor General would have blocked· Zero development of the Ring of Fire· The Cap-and-Trade cash grab that will send billions to California· Massive tax hikes including the vehicle and license fees and the health tax· Allowing violent sex offenders on parole to roam the streets unsupervised· Gas plants scandal that cost $1.1 billion and counting

“Kathleen Wynne’s decisions, driven by what’s best for her and her insider friends, are making it harder for you and your family to get by, wasting your money, and threatening the things we value most like healthcare, education, and services for those in need,” said Brown.

MARKHAM —Following a contested nomination that saw over 6000 local Liberal members join the Party, Markham City Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci was elected as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for the new riding of Markham—Unionville.

“We deserve a progressive provincial government that supports women at home and at work, provides families with quality health care and education, and grows the economy by leveraging our strengths and diversity in every sector,” said Collucci, adding, “And, at the end of the work day, people should be able to get home in time for dinner, spend time with their children and enjoy other activities. I believe Ontario Liberals are the ones to keep delivering on this vision, and I’m honoured to be part of their team,” she said.

Markham Mayor Scarpitti endorsed Collucci, saying, “I have witnessed Amanda's commitment to public service, especially her advocacy for seniors and youth in our community. When she represents us at the province, I know that will result in good things for Markham.”

A mother of two, Amanda Yeung Collucci immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in the 1990s, working her way to earn her high-school diploma and graduating from York University in economics. She then worked in sales and increasingly senior roles at IBM, before she became a small-business owner. She is an executive member of the Association of Chinese-Canadian Entrepreneurs, is a fund-raiser to support the Markham Stouffville Hospital and serves on her school council. She was the first Chinese-Canadian woman elected to Markham City Council, in 2014.

(Toronto) Amid accusations from PC Party Members and former executive members that Patrick Brown’s PC Party is stuffing ballot boxes and fixing nomination meetings,Rick Dykstra, the President of the PC Party, submitted sworn testimony to a court highlighting the contempt Brown’s PC Party has for their own party members and their nomination process.

"The nomination meeting is not determinative of who will ultimately be listed on the ballot as a PC party candidate in the general election... There is no requirement in the Election Act, the Constitution or the rules that the party leader must endorse,or can only endorse, the nomination contestant who is successful at the nomination meeting."(Rick Dykstra, CBC News, July 10, 2017)

This sworn affidavit makes a mockery of promises made by Patrick Brown about the PC nomination process, claiming, “I want to make sure that our nominations are transparent, fair and democratic.” (Media Availability; May 11, 2017).

Shockingly, it is in that same affidavit, CBC reports, the PC Party used “demographic analysis” rather than the votes of the party membership to deny the party nomination to a candidate who happens to wear a turban.

Selling Conservative party memberships, holding a nomination and taking money from people who think that they have a vote, and then endorsing the party leader’s choice instead is not the definition of transparency, fairness or democracy. It’s just the opposite.

Patrick Brown has also repeatedly expressed his trust in Rick Dykstra and his process saying, “The party president, the party executive director, run a very fair, transparent process.” (Media Availability; May 4, 2017). However, Rick Dykstra and Bob Stanley’s recent controversies with PC nominations have been the exact opposite.

The PC party has approximately 45 more nominations that will be held prior to the 2018 election, including in Beaches—East York, Davenport, Don Valley East, Etobicoke North, Parkdale—High Park, Spadina—Fort York, Toronto Centre, Toronto—Danforth, Toronto—St. Paul’s, and York South--Weston; but based on the PC President Rick Dykstra’s revelations, the entire PC nomination process is a scam.

The Ontario Liberal Party is pleased to announce the Scarborough--Agincourt Liberal Provincial Association this weekend nominated Soo Wong to run for reelection in the upcoming June 2018 general election.

“I’m honoured to be nominated to run for reelection, to build on the work we’ve been doing to serve the community,” said Soo Wong. “It has been an absolute joy representing Scarborough-Agincourt over the past 6 years and I look forward to earning the community’s trust again in the upcoming election. I’ll be knocking on doors, campaigning on Liberal values of building a strong economy to support progressive policies that help Ontarians in their everyday lives and I’ll also be championing our local issues like jobs, childcare, education, seniors and OHIP+ youth pharmacare.”

Wong is the first female Chinese-Canadian to be elected to the Ontario Legislature and has represented the riding of Scarborough--Agincourt since 2011. In addition to being a dedicated MPP, she serves as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

“At Queen's Park, Soo has been a consistent champion on matters that are important to her community. They include health care, education, housing, transit, seniors and youth care. I am excited that Soo is our candidate and will be able to continue to be an effective advocate for Scarborough—Agincourt,” said Sylvia Pusey, a long-time resident of Scarborough—Agincourt.

Wong has worked in healthcare for over 25 years and before running for MPP was a school board trustee. Very active in the community, Wong can often be found at local events and volunteers at the Reading Circle, Bridlewood Public Library.

Scarborough — The Ontario Liberal Party is pleased to announce Mitzie Hunter will be seeking re-election as the Ontario Liberal candidate for the 42nd Ontario general election.

Hunter was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2013 as MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood and was appointed as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community and Social Services. She served as Associate Minister of Finance responsible for the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, which led to an agreement in principle from the Federal Government that the Canadian Pension Plan be enhanced for all Canadians, and currently serves as Minister of Education.

“It’s been an honour to be a strong voice for Scarborough-Guildwood at Queen’s Park, and I am proud to once again represent Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario Liberal team,” said Hunter at last evening's nomination. “The Ontario Liberals are the only team with an effective plan to deliver on the needs of our community, foster further economic growth, and help create more opportunities for our families and youth.”

Hunter was joined by Deputy Premier Deb Matthews and members of the Scarborough-Guildwood community at this evening’s nomination meeting.

“We have been so fortunate to have someone as dedicated as Mitzie as our MPP here in Scarborough-Guildwood,” said Lawrence Dawkins, Riding President. “Her passion and dedication for the community are evident through her advocacy for literacy, mental health services and transit expansion, and I know she will continue to advocate effectively for our community once re-elected.”

Prior to entering into politics, Hunter was Chief Executive Officer of CivicAction, where she worked to solve some of our toughest social, economic and environmental challenges. She was also previously the Chief Administrative Officer of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation where she fought for good quality affordable housing, and economic opportunities for youth, and was Vice-President with Goodwill Industries and a Regional Director at Bell Canada.